Didn't you go to Teyvat to earn money to support me?

She couldn't fall asleep for a while.

"Xiao Wu, is something the matter?" Ying Da asked.

"Let me talk to you. Second sister, you've been so quiet these past two days, it's worried me," Fa Nan said in a low voice.

"I'm fine, just a little tired. I've been clearing out those hunting dogs these past few days, they're so hard to deal with." Ying Da paused for a moment, "The villages along the way have been attacked."

"Wasn't there a telegram notification?"

“Where can you send those people to? They’ve left their homes, and for many of them, it’s no different from being dead. They’ll always cling to the hope that the Beast Hounds won’t come to their villages,” Yingda said in a low voice. “Kind words won’t change those damned ghosts. I can only avenge them… Although I know that those beasts aren’t even animals, killing them is meaningless. As long as the Gate of the Beast Realm remains, the creations of Rhinedot will never cease.”

"Ah."

"Little Wu, won't you do a divination to see if Big Brother is alive or dead? You know water divination, I've always wanted to ask you about it."

“Liang’er said that the path of the Great Dao does not concern itself with good or bad fortune. I do not want to divine, nor do I dare to,” Fanan said in a low voice, but Yingda did not press him further. “Besides, divination is not a certainty, and you would go as long as there is a glimmer of hope, right?”

Yingda looked up at her.

It wasn't surprising, really. Yingda knew her sister could see through her thoughts. Unlike her, Fanan had always been the meticulous, seemingly gentle but inwardly strong type. Among the five siblings, Fanan appeared to be the youngest sister, but in reality, she was the pinnacle of intelligence... at least in the Yaksha clan, who only knew how to use their fists.

“I can’t abandon my elder brother,” Yingda said calmly. “You’re right, divination is meaningless. At my age, I have no interest in knowing the future of certain things. There’s only the question of whether or not to do something, not the question of success rate.”

Fa Nan nodded.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Yingda said softly. “But you can’t go, listen to me, Xiao Wu. I’m not as good as you in this life. I’m neither as gentle nor as fierce as you. You think you can’t stay behind like a coward. You feel that you can’t see your elder brother like that. You might even shout that we are demons, that demons are not afraid of death, and that they never shrink back before they die… and so on and so forth.”

Fa Nan stared into her sister's eyes, but Ying Da did not back down and looked directly at her in return.

"But our Yaksha clan has long lost its fearlessness. Haven't you noticed that even our eldest brother is afraid of death? We're all afraid. What do you think our eldest brother was risking his life for? For honor? No, it was so that you and I wouldn't have to risk our lives. Someone has to go down to the Abyss of the Rocky Giant. If it's not our eldest brother, it has to be you or me, or Golden Roc. Otherwise, no one can provide enough immortal power for the sorcerers to set up the restrictions. Our eldest brother has always known that he is the most worthless member of the Yaksha clan now. He can no longer be a marshal. His mind is blurred. He might not even be able to distinguish friend from foe. Driven by karma, he has gone into a frenzy of killing and beating anyone he sees, like Mi Nu. So he has to go down. Even if it's his last moment down there, at least after he falls into the demonic path, he will be surrounded by enemies."

Fanan's face darkened, her lips trembled, but she still couldn't say anything.

“My brother knew we wouldn’t leave him alone, so he left in such a hurry, afraid that we would all die together.” Yingda took a deep breath. “Especially the two of us.”

Fa Nan stared at her.

“We both already have someone we love. In our elder brother’s eyes, we’re more promising than anyone else. The revival of the Yaksha bloodline might just depend on us.” Yingda chuckled. “Although he doesn’t know Liang’er is a boy yet, and he’s still wondering which officer has won my heart, as long as there’s any indication of that, he won’t allow us to be in danger. But I have to go. I know I might not be able to save our elder brother, but if I don’t go, he’ll just die alone. If you go, you’ll just be dying with him. What good will that do?”

Fa Nan stood there like a statue. After a long while, she suddenly grabbed the wine pot from the table, took a big gulp, and choked, tears streaming down her face.

Looking at his sorrowful and speechless sister, Yingda sighed deeply: "Xiao Wu, Liang'er doesn't have me, but she still has you. But without me, her elder brother wouldn't even know where to find a tombstone."

Fa Nan drank one sip after another, finally smashing the empty wine pot. "I'm not stupid, I understand. Even you, Second Sister, can reason with me and appeal to my emotions, and you've gradually learned to be reasonable. How could I not understand?"

"If we don't come back, Liang'er will be yours."

"Liang'er is mine now, aren't you sad? You'd be jealous even in death."

"I like girls."

"Don't I know? Liang'er is the kind of 'girl' you like."

“I’m sad that Liang’er has come to you; but I’d be even sadder if I didn’t go. I’m not like you, Xiao Wu. You’re strong inside, I’m too weak. I can’t bear the responsibility of being a Yaksha. I can only act on my emotions.” Ying Da said softly, “If Liang’er really belongs to you, you must give birth to his child. Demon gods rarely have offspring, and demon gods like Liang’er who are still innocent and interested in romantic love are even rarer. I look forward to you conquering his heart and giving birth to the future of the Yaksha clan. I guess that will be a princess who is stronger than us.”

"Why does Second Sister and everyone else assume that Liang'er's child is definitely a girl?"

"Because I'm so proud of myself, my sister and I are both rare beauties. Liang'er's face is even more beautiful than ours... How can we mutate our bloodline to give birth to a boy?"

“Yingda, after all you’ve said, I know you can’t let go of Liang’er.” Fanan shook his head, then nodded, and said in a low voice, “At least… if you’re willing, I’ll go and bring Liang’er to you. Aren’t you already eyeing Liang’er? I’ll give her to you. Even if Sister Leidianzhen can’t tolerate it, it doesn’t matter. Today, right now, I can go right now.”

"Forget it, it's like I'm entertaining a suicide squad." Yingda grabbed his hair and smiled bitterly. "A kid like Liang'er is already innocent and cute, even a little naive in his dealings with people, so there's no need for him to leave any deep impression on me. Otherwise, how sad would it be... Thinking about it this way, it would be better if I had never slept with him. That way, when you two get married, he'll think that you're the only woman who can have children, and he won't keep thinking that he could have had another one. He won't be so fickle."

Fa Nan smiled slightly and nodded silently.

"While being a womanizer isn't necessarily a bad thing, Ryo'er's personality is already set in stone, shaped by those shameless Inazuma women over the years. But how could Inazuma girls possibly be as outstanding as the girls of Liyue? If all else fails, you could try talking to Gan Yu and the others. Actually, I always felt something was off about the way Gan Yu looked at Ryo'er; it wasn't like she was looking at a younger brother. Now I know it's true. I think you and Gan Yu could take on the three great Inazuma youkai combined, and the rest of the lesser youkai and priestesses would be no match for you..."

Vanan closed his eyes and tried his best to remember these words.

“I am the older sister, and I should die with our father and brothers. You are still young. If you have the chance to fall in love with someone, run away with him. Xiao Wu, we have been fulfilling the contract for more than two thousand years. Even if we take a break, no one will blame us.”

Fa Nan was stunned. When he opened his eyes again, Ying Da had already disappeared.

She stroked the edge of the table, and after a long while, she finally spoke: "I understand, sister, I understand."

----------------

On August 24th, the sun blazed fiercely.

Shen Liang had lost track of how long he had been using the Holy Blood—a month? Two months?

Even using it at the lowest possible intensity, this was the longest he had ever done in his life. Now, even while he was still using it, the backlash had already begun, with his blood burning uncontrollably.

The general was almost always by his side, acting as his antidote. Shen Liang couldn't even imagine what state he would be in when he released the Holy Blood. He even considered going back to Daoqi and having Lei Yingdong use his eternal power to temporarily seal his bodily functions and then slowly guide them back, on a monthly basis.

But not now. Right now, he must suppress it no matter what. Just like Mistelin said, no matter how painful the Holy Blood is, it is still his power, it is his original self! Even if the pain is so great that it burns his brain and leaves him crippled, he can use his innate supernatural powers to grow back!

So it's okay, you won't die.

If you don't die, keep causing trouble.

Chapter 103 Baal's son has already charged ahead for the people of Liyue.

The sky was extremely bright; it was the height of summer, but for war, increasingly hot weather was not a good thing.

The intense sunlight forced many to stare at the ground, as looking into the distance would cause their eyes to glaze and they couldn't see anything clearly. Two months had passed, a two-month standoff across the sealed Abyss. The entire position had been completely cleared, but the Liyue Thousand Rock Army hadn't encountered a new enemy for a long time. Only the daily rumbling from underground kept them awake, speculating about what kind of battle was still raging beneath the surface.

Even after the raid, the lack of a major battle for two months made people complacent. Besides, the summer was too hot and too monotonous, and no one wanted to stay outside. Apart from the lookouts on guard duty, every soldier hid in their tents or practiced shirtless in the river. Only the constant cold water of the river could keep the soldiers alert.

But now, such soldiers are fewer in number. The constant preparation for war consumes a great deal of food, and the funding from Yujingtai has ultimately yielded no results, so their numbers are gradually dwindling. According to Liyue law, frontline soldiers must have meat in their three daily meals. Even if pay can be delayed, food must never be delayed; it is the foundation of morale. Therefore, Fanan ordered that wheat, rice, and other dry rations be ground and mixed with minced meat, then made into cakes and distributed to everyone. Side dishes were to be devised by the soldiers themselves. Thus, daily hunting teams were formed within the army. The area around the Rocky Abyss was already a desolate wilderness; a single wild boar hunted was enough to power a hot pot for an entire battalion. Meat cakes were then served with the hot pot, saving costs but tasting delicious, and everyone was grateful and had no complaints.

Hot pot was invented by Shen Liang, and the cooks in the army gradually learned how to make a simple broth. The area around the cooking tents was full of dried chili peppers. This strong-flavored food could even replace alcohol to some extent, making people rosy-cheeked and invigorated.

Although the food was alright every day, Fa Nan noticed that Shen Liang himself didn't know how to eat. It was originally his favorite hot pot, but he would always stare blankly at the boiling pot, and in the end, he would only take a couple of bites of dry meat patties before hastily finishing the meal, and the wasted hot pot would be taken away for the guards to finish.

Under the blazing sun, Fa Nan pulled up her hood. As a general, she shouldn't have such a feminine side, worrying about the sun. But as a commando, Fa Nan needed to protect her eyes, because she might be deployed at any moment. She lifted the white tent flap and went inside, seeing Shen Liang sitting on a cowhide cushion, an iron sword resting across her knees, slowly applying oil.

His high ponytail and neat attire made him look a few years older. Previously, he resembled a refined young lady from a prestigious family in Inazuma, but now he had a somewhat military bearing.

He had already maintained more than ten weapons, and many more were placed in other parts of the tent, not just swords. There were his favorite Inazuma naginata and katana, as well as the heavy, long-handled two-handed cleavers of the Liyue people, or the halberd with a crescent-shaped blade, and the ancient horizontal sword with its square shape.

These days, Shen Liang has been maintaining all sorts of weapons: sharpening, oiling, wiping, and testing their edges. He doesn't go out much because his body is almost at its limit. But he doesn't tell anyone about this; he just stays in his tent, slowly going about his business. Sometimes he's silent, sometimes he writes letters to Lei Dianzhen, who's far away, but after writing them, he doesn't send them; he just quietly watches them burn in the oil lamp.

Since Yingda left, Fanan noticed he had changed. He was always thinking, or perhaps waiting, but not for anyone. Yingda? Or some unanswered question in his heart?

Waiting should have been anxious; given Shen Liang's pampered upbringing, he should have been angry or throwing a tantrum after Ying Da's departure. But Fanan realized she didn't understand Shen Liang enough. He wasn't angry or confused; he simply sat quietly by himself each day. At first, Fanan didn't understand how Shen Liang could be so calm. He had always been such an immature and innocent child. But later, she understood. Perhaps from the moment Ying Da quietly left, he suddenly realized that the world didn't revolve around him alone.

A child's first sign of growing up is realizing that the world doesn't revolve around them. But it's difficult for a demon to grasp this, because he's so powerful and important that every aspect of the world is potentially connected to him. He feels special because he truly is special.

"Why are you sharpening so many weapons?" Fa Nan asked, looking at the knife on Shen Liang's leg.

"I can no longer summon my own weapons; they are swords that are recreated through my powers. I probably can't maintain them for long, so I need these mortals' equipment." Shen Liang said indifferently without even looking at her. "But with my strength, these weapons can be easily chipped by me. I can replace them with a few more."

“Liang’er won’t go to the battlefield. We’ve already owed you so much for coming to the front lines to help. We can’t possibly ask you to fight for us,” Fa Nan said in a low voice. “Li Yue wouldn’t be so demanding.”

"Who knows."

"Liang'er, this is not something a child would say."

Shen Liang remained silent.

Fa Nan glanced at him, suddenly smiled, and then took off her hooded bamboo hat, which was used for sun and rain protection. Underneath, she was a young girl's body wrapped in a leather bodysuit. This softest and most petite Yaksha girl pushed Shen Liang down onto the leather mat, reached out and unzipped the zipper on his chest, pulling it all the way down. Because the straitjacket was a one-piece garment, to untie it, one had to start from the collar and untie several restraint straps.

Fanan pulled over a thick woolen felt mat and spread it on the ground, then knelt on it and lowered her head. Her movements were practiced, because Shen Liang always had such a felt mat beside him. For the past two months, almost every night, Fanan hadn't slept in her own tent but here. Shen Liang was used to staying up all night writing letters or sharpening knives, and after she finished serving him, she would fall asleep with her head on his lap, listening to the rustling of the pen or the sound of the knife being sharpened.

As his backlash intensified, this became a daily routine. So, Fa Nan simply moved all his belongings to Shen Liang's tent. After all, one of them was a celestial being and the other a demon god, so it didn't matter if they didn't have a bed.

With great effort, Fa raised his head and forced a smile at Shen Liang, only to see Shen Liang still expressionlessly wiping his knife. Xiao Yu'er's smile faded, he swallowed silently, then stood up again, hugging Shen Liang's neck and nuzzling against him. Shen Liang paused, then finally embraced the Yaksha girl's back, pulling her into his arms.

"Feel sorry."

Fa Nan shook his head.

Two months have passed, and in fact, not only Shen Liang, but she herself has become less talkative.

After a few seconds of tenderness, Shen Liang suddenly looked up and said, "You're here."

"What's here?" Fa Nan asked.

Shen Liang looked at the window with the curtain drawn. In that small patch of sky, a few small black dots were flying towards them, about thirty or forty miles away.

"What we've been waiting for has arrived."

Fanan suddenly stood up. She saw that the black dot was a vulture. In the vast northwest of Liyue, vultures were flying everywhere, but looking out over the Abyss of Rocks, there was still no movement and no one in sight.

Kovar doesn't know the reason for this. Vultures are scavengers; they rarely hunt proactively, instead seeking out carcasses. If there are no carcasses, they wait for hunters to kill their prey before eating the discarded flesh. These creatures have a bad reputation in Liyue, but they are considered auspicious by the people of the Gobi Desert. This is because vultures often circle above hunters' prey. They may not be able to kill camels, cattle, or horses, but their presence can guide hunters to their location.

During wartime, vultures swarm out in droves because many people die on the battlefield, and they can feast until the bodies are collected. Therefore, the vultures of the Layered Rock Abyss have always been watchful, but with no war for two months, they can only circle around.

But if so many vultures are flying in like today, it can only mean one thing.

They sensed that war was about to begin, they knew people were going to die, and they prepared to eat.

Just like two months ago, the earth began to shake. Shen Liang stood up, pulled up his clothes, and then slowly washed his hands in the copper basin next to him.

“Sister…elder brother,” Fa Nan said in a low voice.

“I also want to stay out of it, but how can I stay out of it?” Shen Liang took a few steps and then turned back to look at Fa Nan. “It has nothing to do with whether I like it or not.”

“You’ve never fallen in love with any woman, so how can you talk about liking someone?” Fa Nan said softly. “But you don’t want to be protected, you can’t bear the humiliation of being shielded by a woman. Why are you so proud, Liang’er? You’re just a child, what makes you think everyone has to follow you around?”

“This is not pride,” Shen Liang said. “I just can’t stand the feeling of being abandoned anymore. Death is painful, but living alone is even more painful.”

“That’s pride.” Fa Nan looked at his back and smiled silently. “It’s this kind of pride that makes everyone willing to treat you like a plaything, even though they have so many complicated feelings for you.”

"Yeah."